Kochi: The administrative process to deal with disasters and natural calamity are yet to be full-fledged as revealed in the recent ammonia leakage incident in the state's industrial capital. Residents of Thripunithura, Eroor and near-by areas complained of utter confusion during evacuation and hospitalization on Friday evening after the ammonia spill was reported from a barge at Thykoodam near Vytilla.
“The basic facilities to be provided during such times such as emergency number to contact, passing information to people, vehicles to transport the affected and quick deployment of experts to solve the crisis were all missing. We had to locally arrange vehicles to take the affected to the hospital. The system should be corrected once and for all rather than raising the issue every now and then when a disaster happens,” said V.P. Chandran, Chambakkara counsilor.
There was also confusion as the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) authorities said the ammonia leak would affect people in a five-km radius though evacuation of families was done only on a two-km radius. Many residents were seen asking whether they need to move out or not.
However, an official of the District Disaster Management Authority said the leakage was not a “big emergency situation”. “We're monitoring the situation closely and the worse that can happen is having a burning sensation. We have advised people to drink water and move out of closed rooms with air-conditioners. Our focus was to plug the leak. A medical team was here to help people out,” he said.
